1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nerve stimulation device.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-238229, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, cardiac treatment devices that cure arrhythmia by stimulating a heart or a vagus nerve depending on a cardiac rate are known (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-173790).
However, in the case of the cardiac treatment device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-173790, since a lead extending from the device main body is disposed on each of the heart and the vagus nerve that are located in distant positions, a long lead is required. Such a long lead may affect a tissue located in the course of the lead, or cause a noise on an electric signal transmitted through the lead, or increased electric power consumption.
When a treatment by nerve stimulation is required for a patient who has already had a defibrillator or a pacemaker implanted therein, it is necessary to remove such a device from the body and to newly install a cardiac treatment device. This is problematic in that physical burden on the patient is large. The cardiac treatment device has both arrangements for cardiac stimulation and nerve stimulation, it is necessary to have an arrangement for electrically insulating or separating electric signals of cardiac stimulation and nerve stimulation for preventing these electric signals from interfering each other, so that the dimension of the device increases.